An entire industry has developed around various new types of hydration devices used in numerous outdoor and athletic activities. Many of the hydration devices are soft and include a flexible or semi flexible bladders to contain the fluid, along with a hose or water delivery conduit attached to the bladder and which allows the user to suck or draw fluid from the bladder through the conduit.
Although hydration devices have been used for several years with bladders, the contamination and organic growth of materials such as mold within the bladders and the water delivery conduit's has been well recognized but not heretofore solved to an acceptable or desirable level. A primary part of the problem is that when most bladders are stored or not in use, moisture remains within the bladder reservoir. The stagnant water remaining then facilitates or promotes the growth of the undesirable organics such as mold.
There have been past devices which include a simple framework which is placed within the internal cavity of the bladder to keep one side wall from being in constant contact with the other side wall in the hopes that drying will occur. Furthermore, the ports where the fluid delivery conduits are attached to the bladder are typically located offset from an end of the bladder, thereby creating an internal cavity area on one side of the port and a smaller back internal cavity area on the other side of the internal cavity of the bladder. This makes complete drying even more difficult, especially in the smaller back internal cavity area within the bladder.
It is therefore an object of embodiments of this invention to provide a bladder reservoir or internal cavity drying system that provides a more complete drying of the internal cavity, including the back pocket area of the internal cavity.
It is also an object of embodiments of this invention to provide a wider reservoir or internal cavity drying system that securely attaches to the drying apparatus in the desired position.
It is also an objective of embodiments of this invention to provide a system which greatly reduces or eliminates the propensity for mold and other organics to form or accumulate in the entire bladder and not just in one portion or the other, such as in the primary internal cavity. This system had the advantage of providing, directing or guiding air to the back portion as well as the main portion of the internal cavity of the reservoir bladder.
While the invention was motivated in addressing some objectives, it is in no way so limited. The invention is only limited by the accompanying claims as literally worded, without interpretative or other limiting reference to the specification, and in accordance with the doctrine of equivalents. Other objects, features, and advantages of this invention will appear from the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings which form a part hereof. In carrying out the objects of this invention, it is to be understood that its essential features are susceptible to change in design and structural arrangement, with only one practical and preferred embodiment being illustrated in the accompanying drawings, as required.